My Lenten Commitment

I've never been able to figure out what to give up for lent. Everything I can think of seems either impossible or trivial or not beneficial. For the last category, think about me giving up running...it would be difficult but wouldn't serve to make me better in any way. I've thought about giving up alcohol, but I've done that for 40 days before without a problem and I don't think it's a problem for me...

With the help of a friend, I decided that ice cream is gone until Easter. I eat on average one bowl of ice cream per day. Not giant bowls, but I go through a half gallon in a typical week. I'm not addicted, I just like it. Different flavors...gotta switch it up. Anyway, ice cream isn't really good for me and it would be something that I notice its absence. I think it's a good choice. I'm looking forward to this little experiment in self control.

The Storm Before the Calm

Fat Tuesday carries a reputation as arguably the most decadent night on the calendar. It's the day made famous by Mardi Gras when all revelries are indulged before giving them up for the season of lent.

Even when not related to a season, it seems like people do this...they'll go out for a heavy night of drinking before they get shipped off to boot camp or somewhere where alcohol is off limits. I would go on a very long run if I needed some sort of medical care that would prevent me from running for a while. These behaviors are almost like we're putting some of this activity in a bank. Like we can get some sort of future utility out of the extreme actions taken today.

Tri the Rez 2010

Oct. 23rd is the tentative date for Tri the Rez 2010. Should have confirmation of that by the end of this week. Keep your ear to the ground, watch out for online registration coming soon.

Austin the Plumber

I think it was this past Tuesday when my washing machine produced a flood in my garage because there was a clog in the drain pipe leading to the sewer. I put my 20' pipe snake through the washer drain and the nearest clean-out and I couldn't get to the clog. I wanted to get a hold of a plumber (the person who works for the company) and pay about $30 cash to get them to remedy my situation. Long story short, I didn't hear from anyone and I called a family friend who is a plumber from Vero to see if he could recommend anyone. It turns out that he was coming to visit his daughter at FSU this weekend and I met up with him on Saturday to get some professional grade declogging solution. It didn't work. Twice.

I decided on Saturday night that I needed to get a "power auger" or "roto-rooter" to do the job. I found out that the Home Depot rents them. I went to HD and an associate named Big D helped me get the equipment. All the 75' rooters were rented out, so I took a 50 footer home. I felt it take care of one clog, but that apparently didn't do the job. I couldn't back feed it from the clean-out in front of the house, so I had to go back to HD and get a 75' machine which had been returned in the mean time. I bore through the remnants of the first clog and powered through a second. That fixed me up. It was a $45 fix which is not too bad considering the alternative of hiring a real plumber. And now I have that life experience that I was lacking just a few short hours ago.

Let there be no question that roto-rootering pipes is not the most pleasant thing in the world. You get that sewer smell in your nostrils and maybe even on your body if you're not lucky. However, there are plenty worse things (like having water back up in your pipes and render your clothes washer inoperable). My mom asked me if it would have been easier just to call a plumber. Of course that would have been easier, but it would also have been much more expensive ($75 minimum and probably upwards of $100). Overall, I'm happy that I ended up being able to fix it myself.

My laundry had been piling up before the giant clog

Dudes & Rain Boots

I don't see a whole lot of guys at FSU wearing rain boots...come to think of it, I don't think I've seen any guys (other than myself) wearing rain boots at FSU. Girls will use any excuse to wear them. It doesn't have to be downpouring/flooding for girls to break out their pretty designs on their rain boots.

They're so practical for wet weather that I wonder why more guys aren't rocking them. They aren't very expensive and they keep your feet dry. I hate it when my sneakers get all wet. Flip flops are great for rainy weather as long as you don't mind getting your feet wet. I would think that in this cold and wet weather we've been having that people would mind getting their feet wet. Are they just so uncool for guys that dudes are willing to sacrifice comfort and practicality in order not to look like an idiot (do I look like an idiot for wearing them? Maybe...it's usually hard to tell that I'm wearing rain boots because they're poking out from under my rain pants).

Any feedback?

Pick #176

Lorrie Morgan - "Five Minutes" from Leave the Light On

Blippy

Blippy.com is a site that will track your spending. It records transactions on accounts that you link to your Blippy account. For instance, I have a credit card, my Netflix account, and my Amazon account linked to it. When I purchase something with that particular credit card it will post the transaction to Blippy automagically. Netflix can be a little annoying at times because it posts everything you stream instantly. That can get cumbersome. I don't think I've actually purchased anything with Amazon since opening my Blippy account.

You can comment on friends' purchases. It's kinda lame for me right now because I only have one friend using the service. I think that it would be way cooler if I could follow a few more people.

If you'd like to sign up but can't, let me know and I'll send you an invite.